Medicine

Emily’s Pov

“Miss, what happened? You need to tell us what happen so that someone can help you.” the unfamiliar woman is laying in the ED, her lip busted ad can barely keep her left eye open. My day shift is almost finished and Blake said he will pick me up so that don’t have to take the bus in the rain.

“Miss?” she picked her head up long enough to look at the man that was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

“Did he do this to you?” I point a finger at him and asked her again, but she looked scared when I pointed it out.

“Did you do this to her?” I push forward to the man with so much anger inside me.

“Wow, wow. I would never beat a woman like that.” he juggles with a grin on his face and his hands in the air.

“Said any abusive man.” I tried to pick up my hand to punch him and a strong arm grab it back.

“What are you doing?” I turned around to see Blake holding me back.

“I told her to stay away from the gangsters. She brought this upon herself.” the monster said.

“If it wasn’t you, then why didn’t you protect her? Why is she beaten almost to death?” I scream so loud that my voice turned squeaky and I can’t focus on all the patients staring at me.

“Blake, do you mind taking her out of here?” Linda said, glaring at me. I know what I did was unprofessional, but it brought back so many memories of me lying on the cold floor and my jackass of a stepfather were grinning while my mother was supposed to be my protection.

*Call off the blues you bitch. Do you want them to put me in jail?* he used to yell at her. I couldn’t kick, I couldn’t scream, like my mother, who was supposed to be there for me.

We got to the gym, Blake didn’t say a word on our way here. I jumped out of the car and run to the gym. The punching bags were lying on the floor with my hand gloves. I don’t ask questions.

I pulled it over my hands and pulled another punching bag closer.

Blake is standing from far watching my every move.

I hit the bag and kicked it, but I’m just hurting myself.

I felt his hands on my hips, standing behind me.

“Breath!” he whispered into my ear.

“Breath, breath, breath!” he keeps repeating. I can feel my shoulders relax and the rage disappear when he kept his hands on my hips, but a different emotion took over.

My body got filled with hate and tears. I turned to the radio and switch it on.

I picked up his hand gloves, and he pulled them over his hands.

“Dance with me,” I said, with so many tears soaking my face. Blake is glaring at me, but he does as I say. I moved closer, and he pulled me closer to him, his hands behind my back making me stand taller and closer, our faces inches away from each other, my breathing up. He brings his face even closer almost so close that it felt like he was about to kiss me, and I won’t even hesitate right now, I will kiss him back, even though we both agreed on *no *strings attached.

“Get your breathing in control,” he whispered close to my mouth while he moves in slow circles with the music, his arms still firm around my body.

“Breath Emily, you have one shot, take back the control!” he whispered again. My eyes don’t leave his for a second, and our bodies move together. My breathing finally matches his, and he smiled like he just hit a jackpot. The rage turned into fire, fire to control me.

He took my hands in his and bent down on his feet.

“Bent down,” he instructed.

“Let your one leg go out to the left side while your other one is still bent, and try to come closer while you move in circles, and keep your eyes on me.” I do as he says. I have no idea what we’re doing now.

“Sweep Kick, that’s what we’re doing right now,” he picked up with my thoughts.

“You call it a down key and C key.”

“This move you use when the opponent stands. it was used to make the opponent fall backwards and was useful for getting a knockout.” I was amazed but confused as well.

Why would he teach me a knock out move if don’t even know yet how to throw a punch? He stands up and asked me to still be better and my left foot to the side.

“Bring your left foot as fast as you can in, and hit my legs with it.” I did exactly as he asked, but I just hurt my ankle when my foot hit his legs.

“Ouch,” I Let out. He lowered himself to my level and cup my cheek.

“This I wasn’t supposed to show you. The reason I did was that you were full of rage and anger, and actually missed the opportunity where I bent my knees for a second where you had the chance to strike.”

“Rage and anger are good, but they also let you miss opportunities.” he pulled me up from the floor, and hold my ankle in his hand.

“Does it hurt?” he picked me up and sit down with me on the couch.

“A little.” he removed my shoe and wrapped it with a bandage.

“All good now.” he smiled and For a while, we sit in silence.

“What's on your mind?” he asked me. How do I explain to him why I had so much rage? He only thinks that I’m here because I got jumped the other night.

“What happened to you, Emily?” he pulled me closer to look at him, my feet resting on his leg. His eyes burned through my soul, and all the rage and hate I had a few seconds ago melted and filled with peace as I concentrate on his breathing.

“What do you mean?”

“What happened to you? You are such a beautiful woman and got jumped once. I’ve never seen a woman get jumped once and want to learn how to defend themselves, and I’ve seen a lot of women.” I looked down at my feet. I don’t want to tell him why he is training me. I feel ashamed. I feel angry, not just for my stepfather, but because I’m weak.

“Hey,” he said softly, with the music still playing in the background. Tears escape my blue eyes and I can’t stop them.

“You can trust me! I know you think medicine can take away the pain, but so can people as well, if you let them!” he pulled me to sit on his lap.

We agreed no strings attached. What is he doing to me right now? Is it part of his training?

I pulled up my t-shirt over my head, leaving me in just my bra to show him how the memories of my past beat me black and blue. He trailed his fingers over the mark where my stepfather stabbed me with a knife.

“He beat my mother for calling the cops. He stuffed me that night under the stairs when the cops knocked on the door and my mother had to close my mouth, to not yell when my stepfather opened the door and lied and said the neighbourhood kids like pulling pranks.” I can see his veins swelling in his neck as he searches my eyes.

“Why was your mother so afraid of him?” he asked, playing with my hair.

“I don’t know. My father loved her, and when he died she became an addict, and could never break free from it. It’s on the streets where she met him. She stopped using, but could never break free from the monster.” by this time my rage and anger was filled with tears and pain. I have so many mixed emotions and I don’t know how to let go of them other than to be with Blake. He moved his hands lower to my tights and squeezed them.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” he looks concerned and looks at me with so much passion that I can’t break free.

“I will be your medicine.” He smiled, our lips almost touching. My heart rate picked up and I can hear his heartbeat faster and faster as our lips almost touch.

What are we doing? This will ruin everything. We need a professional relationship. He will never train me as hard if we fall for each other.

I cleared my throat before we kissed and I jumped up from his lap. My ankle hurts like shit.

“I have to go. I will see you tomorrow.” I grabed my shoe and run out of the gym with my ankle still swollen